Today in Piney Ridge, Lilly and friends met up with Bev to help her build a new dam and lodge. They even met a new friend in the process.

Parents, feel free to engage with your kiddos using some pf the prompts from below.

• Where does Bev live?
  • In a beaver lodge
• What is a Beaver dam? What is a beaver lodge?
  • Dam: A wall of logs and sticks used to stop or slow down the flow of water
  • Lodge: A hollow mound of logs and sticks where beavers live
• Where is the entrance of a Beaver lodge?
  • In the bottom, under the water. This keeps the beavers safe from the weather and from predators.
• What are the two halves of a turtle shell called?
  • Carapace: The upper half of the shell
  • Plastron: The lower half of the shell
• Why do we think Tutu moves slowly on land but fast in the water?
  • The shell is heavy making it hard to move on land. In the water, everything floats so it feels lighter and that lets Tutu move much faster.

For an activity, grab two plastic bowls, one large and one small. Fill the large one with water. Fill up the smaller one little less than halfway with something heavier, like rocks, rice, or even water. Put both containers on a flat surface and have your kiddo push the smaller one. Then put the smaller bowl into the larger bowl with water and have them push the little bowl around inside of the water. Have them feel how much easier it is to push it around in the water versus on land.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/PineyRidge

Today in Piney Ridge, Lilly meets with her new nighttime friends and play some hide and seek. The friends find out the story of the horned bird is real.

Parents, feel free to engage with your kiddos using some pf the prompts from below.

• How did the friends find each other in the dark?
  • Nocturnal creatures have good nighttime vision as well as having much better hearing and being more sensitive to movement.
• Which of the friends are predators?
  • Lilly and Tek
    • Lilly hunts small animals like mice, lizards, and small birds
    • Tek hunts the same animals as Lilly but also slightly bigger animals like Lilly, Rico, and Posie. They even hunt skunks and rabbits.
• How does Tek fly silently?
  • He has small, specialized fluffy feathers called down feathers that muffle sounds. His wings are extra big so he doesn’t have to flap as much as most birds and can even fly slower.
• Do you think the friends are good hiders?
  • There fur are the right shades to blend in with bushes, trees, and shadows. They have a natural camouflage

For an activity, right before bedtime, as it is getting darker, play a game of hide and seek without turning on lights. Have your child rely on their sense of hearing to find you. Or put on some perfume and they can use the scent to find you. Have your child put on pajamas that is a close match to your couches, pillows, or sheets and have them “blend in” like the friends. The running around and moving things around to make a hiding place would be good “big body play” that will help your child regulate their energy and emotions and get them ready for bed.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/PineyRidge

Today in Piney Ridge, Lilly meets many new friends who show her around the meadow at night. She warns her friends of a mysterious horned bird who can snatch them up.

Parents, feel free to engage with your kiddos using some pf the prompts from below.

• Where do you think the nighttime friends live?
  • Rico - A hollow log
  • Posie - A burrow
  • Chordeiles - On tree branches and on the ground
  • Sally – Under logs, rocks, and moss or in small abandoned burrows
• What kind of the nighttime friend sounds the cutest?
• What kind of animal do you think the horned bird is?
  • Listen to the episode “Hide and Seek In The Dark” for the answer
• What is nocturnal? Crepuscular? Diurnal?
  • Nocturnal – active at night
  • Crepuscular – most active during sunrise and sunset
  • Diurnal – active during the day

For an activity, go outside and look amongst the trees. Try to see if you can find birds’ nests and dreys. Dreys look like an enclosed ball while the nest looks more like a bowl.

Also go out to your nearest forested park and look along shaded damp areas to find salamanders. They may be under decaying logs and near creek beds. Just be sure to be aware of your surroundings and put everything back where you found it.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/PineyRidge